Diamond-cover.



F. C. CLARKE.

DIAMOND COVER. APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 7, 1909` p 983,857. PatentedFeb.7,1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

wiTNEssEs: INvENToR ,BYLMQ HIS ATTORNEYS THE NoRRls FEVER: ca.,WASHINGTON. n. c,

F. C. CLARKE.

DIAMOND COVER.

APPLICATION HLED 1111137, 1909.

- Patented Feb. 7, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

HEME

FIG.5

FIG 4 WTIT'NESSES:

' INVENTOR M @M/ BY MW@ HIS ATTORNEYS HIE mums versus vo., Wnmlaww. l;C.

narran sfrafrns ramena* 'erica FRED C. CLARKE, OF WINFIELD, KANSAS,ASSIGNOR TO THE CLARKE COVER COMPANY, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ACORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

DIAMOND-COVER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. *7, 1911.

Application led .Tune 7, 1909. Serial No. 500,584.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED C. CLARKE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Ninelch in the county of Cowley and State of Kansas, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Diamond-Covers, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to means for manipulating a cover forbaseballpgrounds.

This cover is made of canvas or other suitable material for keeping thediamond and preferably a portion of the outfield dry in wet weather. Forits manipulation guy ropes are provided for attachment to stakes suitedfor the purpose in order to hold the canvas down over the grounds, and aspecial arrangement of ropes and Winding devices is provided for rollingup and away from the diamond the canvas after it has been released fromthe stakes. Preferably before rolling the canvas up, it is folded acertain number of times in order to be more readily handled by thedevices for rolling it up, though of course this is not absolutelynecessary. For handling` during this folding, I have provided a specialarrangement of certain of the guy ropes. 'In addition to the `above Ihave also provided a ready means for again unrolling the canvas upon thediamond in a proper position to be unfolded to cover the ground to itsfull extent. All these means for manipulating the cover or canvas I havecombined in an especially convenient and efcient manner. The struc turalfeatures of the devices used and the particular arrangement of them withrespect to the canvas or cover will be more readily understood from thefollowing description taken in connect-ion with the accompanyingdrawings, and the particular features of novelty in my invention will beclearly pointed out in the annexed claims.

Referring to the drawings,-Figure 1 is a plan view of the canvas orcover and the manipulating devices, the canvas being shown in itsextended position where it covers the diamond and is secured in positionby the guy ropes. Fig. 2 is a plan view showing the cover as it is beingrolled up after having been folded. Fig. 3 and Fig. 4L are detail viewsof the winch used to roll the cover up, and Fig. 5 is asectional viewshow ing one of the stakes to which the guy ropes are tied.

In dotted lines in Fig. l is shown a base ball diamond withlthe bases inthe relative positions indicated, and this diamond is covered by acanvas l. This canvas is in this case made of a sufficient size to covercertain portions of the out-field as shown. Guy ropes 2 are attached atthe four corners and at suitable intermediate points and extend tostakes 3 which are driven into the ground at points beyond the edge ofthe extended canvas. The stakes may be of any form, but are preferablyof the form shown in Fig. 5. The stake 3 in this figure is shown drivendown into the ground until its upper end is substantially flush with thesurface. This upper end is hollowed out, as at 4, and a transverse pinhook, or bar 5 is provided for the attachment of the guy ropes 2. Therubber cap or cover 6 is provided for the top of the post, and the topof this cap or cover is roughened or corrugated in order to preventslipping of a person walking over it. l/Vhen the canvas is taken up thecovers 6 are used to cover the stakes and prevent any one tripping bystepping into the hole at the Lipper end of the stake. It will be notedthat the covers 6 fit with their upper sides flush with the surface ofthe ground, and that there is thus no danger of tripping over it.

Certain of the guy ropes 2 extend all the way across the cover as shown,and intermediate the ends some 0r all of them are provided with loops 7the parts of the guy ropes intermediate the loops being sewed orotherwise attached to the cover. These loops and guy ropes are on theunder side of the canvas, and the loops serve as grips for the hand tobe used in folding over the canvas as will be presently described.

rlhe canvas thus described when extended and tied down as shown willprevent the baseball ground from being wet in rainy weather. It isdesigned to be placed over the grounds whenever the weather is such thatthere is need for it. The arrangement of guy ropes and hand loopsrenders its manipulation while on the ground very easy, but the largesize of the canvas makes necessary some special means for itsmanipulation in getting it on and off of the grounds. In order toaccomplish this I have provided an arrangement of ropes or other devicesconnected to the canvas and operated by a winch or other suitablemechanism for handling' the ropes, whereby the canvas may be readilyrolled up and away from the field, or may be as readily rolled out uponthe field. This means of manipulation as shown in Fig. 1 consists of arolling device 8 attached to an apron or tab 9 fastened to one side ofthe cover l about its middle, and operating ropes 10 attached at one endto fixed posts 11, passing underneath the cover and over the rollingdevice 8, and back underneath the cover to the winch 12, being attachedone to each of the drums 13. The rolling device 8 consists of a rod orpole attached to the tab and a friction pulley on each end of the pole.These friction pulleys are adapted to receive the bights of the ropes 10and are preferably of small size in order to prevent rolling upon theground for a distance greater than the length of the tab 9. The reasonfor this will appear presently. The winch 12 is located on the side ofthe canvas opposite the tab 9 and is preferably located on a side of thediamond adjacent the home plate. The rolling device 8 with tab 9 isalways of course attached to the opposite side of the canvas. Thislocation of the winch is particularly advantageous in that a grandstandor other structure provided with a roof is usually located on one orboth sides of the diamond adjacent the home plate. The winch may,therefore, be housed beneath the stand where it is out of the way andhas protection from the weather. The drums 13 on the winch are loose onthe shaft 14 but are connected to it by ratchets and pawls 15 and 16keyed to the shaft and to the drum respectively. rlhis is shown in Fig.3. On the periphery of the drums 13 are provided handles 17 foroperation by hand. The main shaft 14 is operated by crank'lS through themedium of gears 19 and 20. The gear 2O carries a ratchet 21 cooperatingwith a pawl carried by the frame. This pawl and ratchet serve to holdthe slack during the rolling up operation.

Attached to the canvas near the point the tab or apron 9 is attached,are two ropes 22 of a length equal to the width of the cover, or to thedistance between the winch and the rolling device 8 in the extendedposition of the cover shown in Fig. 1. Also attached to the canvas areropes 23 leading to stakes 11 where they are tied.

The rolling up operation will now be described. The cover is firstfolded by means of the guy ropes and loops 7 until it occupies aposition between the ropes 10 as shown in Fig. 2. This folding is donealong lines parallel to the ropes 10, and is done from both sides of thecanvas, so that the canvas is evenly folded between the ropes 10. Thisfolding is also preferably along the lines of the guy ropes which extendropes 10. By this means the folding may be more easily accomplished asthe loops 7 are available as grips. YBesides this the ropes containingloops 7 serve as guides to indicate the proper points for the fold. Thecanvas thus folded between the ropes 10 is ready to be rolled up and offthe diamond. To accomplish this the winch 12 is operated to wind up theropes 10. The ropes 10 passing around the pulleys on the end of therolling device 8 turn it winding up the apron 9 on the pole, and theapron 9 is followed by the canvas when the end of the apron is reached.Continuing the operation of the winch 12 rolls the canvas up as shown inFig. 2 and from the diamond as shown in Fig. 4. The friction of the ropeon the pulleys attached to the rolling device is the means of turningthe rolling device and rolling the canvas up. The pulleys of the rollingdevice should not roll on the ground for the reason that the roll ofcanvas increases in diameter as it is being formed, and the progress ofthe roll across the diamond should be exactly commensurate with thisincrease in diameter in order that there be no slack and that the rollbe as tight as possible. The rolling up operation is continued bytiirning the winch until the canvas is clear off the diamond when it maybe lashed in place to the stakes 11. During this operation the ropes 22have been rolled up with the canvas, and when it is again desired tospread the canvas the ends of these ropes 22 are caught by several menand the canvas is unrolled onto the diamond on the same path on which itwas rolled up. The ropes 23 attached to the stakes 11 serve to stop thecanvas at the proper point with respect to the diamond and prevent itsbeing pulled out of place. The unrolled canvas may then be unfolded toits extended position shown in Fig. 1, and it may be secured in place bythe guy ropes 2.

By using two ropes 22 properly spaced apart, the canvas is more evenlyunrolled than is the case when one rope is used.

By a provision of the ratchet and pawl connection between drums 13 andshaft 14 I may take up any slack in one or both of the ropes 10 due tostretching. This is especially desirable when one rope stretches morethan the other, or when for any reason one of the ropes becomes of lesslength than the other, for the rolling device 8 will not run true unlessthe ropes from the winch to the rolling device are of equal length. Inother words, the rolling device 8 must be the true axis of the roll ofcanvas being formed and must be perpendicular to the ropes 10. Theratchet 21 is adapted to hold the ropes 10 taut. as the canvas is beingrolled up, this ratchet acting to prevent the reversing of shaft 14during the rolling up operation. When it is desired to extend the canvasof course this ratchet 2l is released by the moving of the paWl from theratchet. It Will be seen that I have produced an execeedingly practicaland convenient means for manipulating a cover of canvas of large size.IVhile I have described this With particular reference to a baseballfield, it is of course understood that I may cover ground or othersurface other than a baseball field and use the same means formanipulating that cover.

I desire also to have it understood that While I have described the bestform of manipulating means now known to me, many of the details can bereadily changed by a skilful person Without departing from the genericspirit of my invention, and I desire to cover all such changes ormodifications in the claims annexed hereto.

As regards the rope for operating the rolling device of my invention, Imay, of course, operate the rolling device by a rope running underneaththe canvas of the roll.- ing` device and then back over the top of thecanvas. In this case, of course, the rope running over the top of thecanvas Will simply have to be lifted by hand in order to pass the foldedsides of the canvas underneath it and allow the folded canvas to restbetween the operating ropes as is the case when the operating ropes passentirely beneath the canvas.

That I claim is,-

\1. In combination, a diamond cover, and means for removing the samefrom the diamond comprising a Winch on one side of the cover, a rollingdevice on the other side of the cover of less extent than a side of thecover, and ropes running from the Winch under the cover and to t-herolling device.

2. In combination,a diamond coverWhich can be folded, a rolling deviceWhich rolls along adjacent the surface of the ground attached to saidcover on one side, and ropes running under said cover from the oppositeside to said rolling device for rolling the folded cover up and off thediamond.

3. In combination, a cover, a rolling device of less extent than a sideof the cover on one side of said cover, a tab connecting said rollingdevice and cover, and ropes running from the side of said cover oppositesaid rolling device and under said cover to said rolling device forrolling the cover up.

et. In combination, a cover provided with guy ropes for tying down tostakes, certain of said guy ropes extending parallel to each otheracross the cover on its under side and being provided with loops, arolling device `0`connected to a side of the cover perpendicular to saidparallel guy ropes, and ropes running from the opposite side of saidcanvas underneath said canvas to said rolling device and parallel tosaid guy ropes.

5. In combination, a cover for a base ball diamond, parallel lines ofhandeholes on said cover, a rolling device connected to a side of t-hecover perpendicular to said parallel lines of hand-holes, and ropesrunning from opposite sides of said cover to said rolling device andparallel to said lines of hand holes.

6. In combination, a cover adapted to extend over a diamond and aportion of the out-field, a rolling device connected to the cover on aside of the cover for the diamond adjacent the second base, andoperating ropes passing under the cover on the opposite side and to saidrolling device.

7. In combination, a cover adapted to extend over a diamond and aportion of the out-field, a rolling device connected to the cover on aside of the cover for the diamond adjacent the second base, operatingropes passing under the cover on the opposite side and to said rollingdevice, and a Winch on said opposite side for hauling in said ropes.

8. In combination, a cover for a base ball diamond, means for removingthe cover from the surface comprising a rolling device attached to oneside of the cover and which rolls along adjacent the surface of theground, and operating ropes running from the side of said cover oppositesaid rolling device to said rolling device for rolling the cover up,said devices being of less extent than a side of the cover and beingpositioned with respect to the cover to place said ropes beneath thecover When the same is extended, and independent means attached to saidcover, whereby it may be unrolled to cover said surface.

9. In combination, a cover for a surface, and means for removing thecover from the surface comprising a Winch, a rolling device connected tothe cover, ropes running under the cover from the Winch to the rollingdevice, and means on the Winch for independently adjusting the length ofeach rope.

l0. In combination, a cover for a surface, and means for removing thecover from the surface comprising a Winch, a rolling device connected tothe cover, ropes running under the cover from the Winch to the rollingdevice, operating' means for the Winch, and means on the Winchindependent of the operating means for taking up slack in the ropes.

ll. In combination a pair of ropes adapted to run across a surface, saidropes being spaced apart and connected at one end to a hauling device, arolling device connected to the other end of said ropes, said rollingdevice being of less extent than that of a side of the surface, a coverfor said surface, and a tab of less Width than the rolling deviceconnecting the cover and the rolling device.

12. Means for removing a cover from a base -ball diamond comprising apair of ropes spaced apart and adapted to extend `from one side ot thebase-ball diamond to the opposite side, stakes opposite a side of saiddiamond adjoining the home plate, a haulingl device opposite the sameside of said diamond, one end of cach of said ropes being tied to one ofsaid stakes, and the other ends ot" said ropes being attached to saidhauling device, and a rolling` device for rolling up the coverassociated with said ropes.

13. Means for removing a cover from a base-ball diamond comprising apair ot ropes spaced apart and adapted to extend from one side of thebase-ball diamond to the opposite side, stakes opposite al side ot saiddiamond adjoining the heine plate, a hauling device opposite the saineside of said diamond, one end of each ot' said ropes being tied to oneof said stakes, and the other ends of said ropes being attached to saidhauling device, and a rolling device for rolling up the cover associatedwith said ropes.

14. Means for removing a cover from a base-ball diamond comprising apair of ropes spaced apart and adapted to extend from one side of thebase-ball diamond to the opposite side, stakes opposit-e a side ot' saiddiamond adjoining the home plate, a hauling device located opposite thesaine side of said diamond with its axis parallel to the side of thediamond, one end of each ot said ropes being tied to one of said stakes,and the other ends of said ropes being attached to said hauling` device,and a rollii'ig device for rolling up the cover asso-- ciated with saidropes. Y

15. ln combination, a rectangular cover adapted to cover a base balldiamond and a portion of its out-i'ield, a haulingl device locatedopposite the side of said diamond adjoining the home plate, ropesattached to said hauling device of a length adapting them to extendacross said diamond to the opposite side and return, stakes to which thereturn ends of said ropes are attached, and a rolling device attached tosaid cover and resting in the bights of said ropes.

1G. ln combination, a cover for a surface and a rolling device forrolling up said cover which is of less extent than a side oit the cover,and a relatively narrow tab connecting said rolling device and said sideot the cover.

17. A substantially rectangular cover for a base-ball diamond designedto bc placed on said diamond with its respective sides always in thesaine position with respect to the respective sides of said diamond, anda rolling device attached to the side of said cover intended to lieopposite a side of the diamond adjacent second base.

1S. A substantially rectangular cover for a base-ball diamond designedto be placed on said diamond with its respective sides always in thesaine position with respect to the respective sides of said diamond, arolling device attached to the side of said cover intended to lieopposite a side of the diamond adjacent second base, and a haulingdevice associated with said rolling device and located opposite a sideof said diamond opposite the said side adjoining the second base.

19. A substantially rectangular cover for a base-ball diamond designedto be placed on said diamond with its respective sides always in thesame position with respect to the respective sides of said diamond, arolling device attached to the side of said cover intended to lieopposite a side of the diamond adjacent second base, and an unrollingdevice connected to the opposite side of said cover.

20. A substantially rectangular cover for a base-ball diamond designedto be placed on said diamond with its respective sides always in thesame position with respect to the respective sides of said diamond, aroll-- ing device on the side of said coveradapted to lie opposite aside of the diamond adjoining the second base, and means connecting thecover to said rolling device.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence ot twosubscribing witnesses.

FRED C. CLARKE.

Wi tnesses ALICE A. TinLL, L. BRANDT.

